Missile stowing apparatus



R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS Nov. 27, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTOR. 644/ F HEEETH Nov. 27, 1962 R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 0 u u w a u a a u a n 0 u o a o u o a u v u a u v a w a a a n a a a a o a IN VEN TOR. PAL/ H F #596726 Nov. 27, 1962 R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTOR. RALPH F flffiffl Nov. 27, 1962 R. F. HERETH 3,065,673

MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1962 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 42 FIG. 4

I m 1 ,a4

I N INV EN TOR.

97 PAL/DH Fhf/GETH ATTORNEYS Nov. 27, 1962 R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 H Mr W% H F W WM v. B

FIG.

Nov. 27, 1962 R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 k IO\\ w k a k W BN5 5 Nov. 27, 1 962 R. F. HERETH MISSILE STOWING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTOR. RALPH F. #595771 A770?? Ys m wt m GI United States Patent Ofitice 3,065,673 Patented Nov. 27, 1%62 3,065,673 MESSILE STE} W KN G APPARATUS Ralph F. Hereth, Port (lirchard, Wash, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Feb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 176,882 11 Claims. (Cl. ss1.7 (Granted under Title 35, US. (lode (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to apparatus for stowing guided missiles in a vertical position preparatory to their being rammed onto a launching or firing arm.

The apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with a shipboard missile launcher of a type having a stationary magazine carrying concentric rings of missiles in an upright vertical position. A rotatable turret mounted axially over the magazine carries a pair of diametrically disposed launcher arms each having a rail section onto which the missiles can be rammed or loaded for firing purposes. To so load the arms, the turret is rotatably indexed to align the launcher arm rails with similar rails carried by the magazine. The missiles themselves have launching shoes or lugs that engage the rail sections and, when the launcher rails align with the magazine rails, a continuous track is formed to guide the missiles as they are moved or rammed from the magazine onto the launcher arms. The ramming movement, in turn, is achieved by a chain hoist mechanism provided with a rammer head, the arrangement being one in which the rammer head and chain can be extended from either launcher arm into the magazine when the launcher arm is aligned to provide the track continuity necessary for this purpose. One complication, which will become more understandable, subsequently, is that each missile is supported in a pair of diametrically-opposed rails forming a cell of the magazine. Further, depending on which of the pair of launcher arms is being loaded, the hoisting rammer may travel down one or the other of the magazine rails to engage the missile from one or the other of its sides. Similarly, when the magazine is being loaded with missiles, the rammer head which controls the lowering movement may travel in one or the other of the magazine cell rails depending upon which launcher arm is being used.

The particular difiiculties presented by this double cell rail arrangement are concerned in part at least with the missile latching or unlatching operations which must be accomplished concurrently with either a launcher ramming operation or a magazine loading one. Conventional latches obviously are not suitable, although their unsuitability is due to a number of reasons other than the duality mentioned. However these other considerations relate to environmental particulars and can be better understood in context with the detailed description.

Another difficulty with a launcher arrangement of the present type is that the vertically-disposed missiles must be hoisted or lowered vertically so that the rammer heads bear the entire Weight. Additionally, the rammer heads must extend deeply into the magazine to either engage a missile for hoisting or to deposit the missile when loading the magazine. Consequently, close coordination of rammer head and missile latching or unlatching operations becomes difiicult to achieve by ordinary means.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide missile magazine apparatus capable of stowing missiles in a vertical position in which the missiles can be grasped and hoisted vertically from either of the missiles sides.

Another object is to provide a latch mechanism capable of securing missiles or similar elongate objects in a vertically stowed position.

An object closely related to the last one, is to provide a latch mechanism capable of being released by the rammer head or its equivalent regardless of the orientation of the rammer head with respect to the missile cell.

A further object is to provide a missile-securing latch which mechanically latches a missile shoe or lug and which is releasable automatically regardless of the previously-mentioned rammer head orientation.

Yet a further object is to provide a buffer means for cushioning the missiles as they are lowered into the magazine cell and, as a correlative object, to assure the action of the cushioning means regardless of the rammer head orientation.

Still another object is to provide a means in a missile magazine for selectively permitting the rammer head either to secure the missile for hoisting purposes or, in another mode of operation, to permit the ramrner heed to deposit a missile in the magazine and be retracted without re-engaging the missile.

A more generalized object is to provide a missile magazine capable of storing a maximum number of missiles in a minium amount of space, the magazine further being so arranged with respect to the launcher arm as to provide the shortest possible path of travel from the magazine cells onto the arm.

Another generalized object is to provide a stationary magazine for cooperation to the fullest extent possible with a turret-supported pair of launcher arms rotated axially above the magazine.

Other objects will become more apparent in the ensuing description which is to follow. It is, however, to be especially noted that a number of the foregoing objects, as well as others that will become apparent, have general application extending beyond the particular demands imposed by the specifically considered launching system.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustrating particularly the manner in which the rammer head of a launcher arm extends into the magazine of the present invention to secure and hoist a missile onto the launcher arms;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the magazine shown in FIG. 1, a front portion of the magazine being broken away and sectioned to show pertinent interior components and structural details;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged and partially sectioned and broken away view of the lower part of one of the rails of a magazine cell, this view primarily illustrating a rail support and latch assembly;

FIG. 4 is another enlarged and partionally sectioned view of the other rail of the missile cell, this view particularly illustrating a rail support and butter assembly which forms a part of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a rammer head drive;

F168. 6 through 9a are enlarged schematics illustrating the action of the rammer head in engaging and picking up a missile; and

FIGS. 10, 10a, 11 and 12 are additional schematics illustrating the cooperation between the missile magazine and the rammer head in permitting the rammer head to retract from the missile magazine without picking up a missile.

Referring to the drawings, the launching system generally illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a pair of launcher arms It and 2 rotatably mounted on a turret 3 which itself is mounted for rotation about the central vertical axis of a magazine 4. Missiles 6 are stowed in a vertical position in the magazine and, to initiate a launcher firing sequence,

the turret with its launcher arms is rotated to position the arms directly over the missile to be fired. There being a pair of launcher arms, the launching system is capable of picking up two missiles at a time, although, if desired, either arm can be loaded respectively.

In a loading operation, a hoisting mechanism generally indicated by numeral 7, is employed to engage a missile and ram in onto special rail portions 8 and 9 provided on the launcher arms. in the customary manner, the missiles carry shoes or lugs if and these shoes ride in the tracks provided by launcher rails 8 and 9 which then support the missiles by means of these shoes.

A hoisting mechanism 7 carried by each arm is formed principally of a chain 12. (FIG. one end of which is wound in a chain magazine 13 while the other is coupled to a special rammer head 14 which will be described in greater detail subsequently. Each chain magazine 13 is mounted on the inboard side of its launcher arm and is powered by a suitable drive including a B-end motor (not shown), a drive sprocket 37 (FIG. 5) and an idler sprocket 13. The chain with its rammer head rides in launcher arm rails 8 and 9 and, of course, the drive is employed to extend and retract the rammer head through these rails and into similar rails provided in the magazine and soon to be described. Another aspect of the rammer drive is that it is so regulated as to permit either a long or short stroke, by which it is means that the extension of the rammer head into the missile cells can be regulated so as to provide a long stroke or a short one. The purpose of utilizing the long and short strokes will become apparent in the functional description. The specific means are indicated in FIG. 5, although they form the subject matter of a copen-ding patent application of Ralph F. Hereth, Serial No. 176,883, filed February 28, 1962, and entitled Rotary Drive Control Mechanism.

The features of the present invention are more directly concerned with missile magazine 4 which, as will be seen in FiG. l is a tall cylindrical object the lower portion of which is received in ship deck 19 with the top portion projecting upwardly from the deck. A rotatable magazine cover 21 (FIG. 2) closes the top portion of the magazine, the cover having its outer circumferential edge supported on suitable bearings provided by an external cylindrical wall 22 of the magazine. it also is to be noted that both the cover and the magazine are ring-shaped to the extent that they both have an open center which, in the launcher system presently being described, mounts a stationary stand on which turret 3 is rotatably mounted, this stand also supporting the inner circumferential edge of the cover. Further, this inner circumferential edge carries a ring gear 23 and the stand mounts a ring gear drive (not shown) terminating at a suitable pinion for rotating the cover.

A significant feature of the magazine is the use of inner and outer blast doors 24 and 26 formed in the magazine cover and rotatable about a horizontal axis to open into a vertical position at either one or the other side of the door openin More specifically, each door has a blast cover 27 adapted to tightly close the opening and, interiorly of the cover, is a blast door gear frame 28 which is arcuate in shape and which is mounted on horizontal pivot 29. A blast door drive gear 31 is employed to drive the gear frame to open the doors. In opening, the doors swing along the arcuate path of the gear frame to position themselves on one or the other side of the opening. In other words, drive gear normally engages the central portion of gear frame 28 and the gear can be driven either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to swing the doors to one or the other side. Interiorly of blast cover 27 also is mounted a rail section 32 adapted to mate with launcher rails S and 9 when the launcher rails are disposed in a loading portion such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. It may be noted in passing that each launcher rail carries on its lower portion (Fl 1) a so-called spanner rail (not shown) which can be swung into a locked engagement with blast door rails 32 when the blast doors are in vertical or open position. The reason for the outer and inner blast doors will be considered later.

Interiorly of the magazine, the principal components include a pair of concentric walls 33 and 34 which divide the magazine structure into outer and inner rings 36 and 37. Further, each ring is subdivided into a plurality of circumferentially arranged cells 38 by radially extending partition walls 39, these cells being dimensioned in length and width to closely receive the guided missiles. The need for inner and outer blast doors on magazine 21 arises because of this concentric ring arrangement of the missiles. Thus, the outer blast doors are directly over the cells of the outer missile ring and the same with the inner doors. Further the blast doors are disposed diametrically opposite one to the other, this arrangement accommodating the circumferential spacing of the launcher arms.

Another consideration, not a part of the present invention, is the fact that launcher arms 1 and 2 can pick up missiles from either the outer or inner magazine ring 36 or 37. To accomplish this selective action, the launcher arms themselves are telescopically mounted on the turret so that they can be extended to pick up missiles from the outer ring or retracted to engage and pick up inner ring missiles.

The more important features of the invention are concerned with the particular structure and arrangement of each individual magazine cell 33. Thus, to permit the rammer head of each chain and hoist mechanism to be extended into the magazine to engage the missile, each cell is provided with a pair of rails 41 and 42. As seen, each of the rails is securely bolted to a radial partition wall 39 of the cell and the rails are mutually confronting to permit a missile to be received between them. In the usual manner, the rails are shaped to receive missile shoes 11, there being two such shoes one on each side of the missile.

in addition to being shaped to receive the missile shoe, the rails also are provided with a track portion known as a rammer head chamber 43 (FIG. 3) in which the rammer head of the chain hoisting mechanism travels in its reciprocal up and down movement through the magazine cell. The particular shape of the rails coincides with the shapeof blast door rails 32 and launcher arm rails 8 and 9 so that both the missile shoes and the rammer head can travel in a continuous aligned path or track to progress or ram the missile from the magazine onto the launcher arm or vice versa.

Referring again to the blast doors, it will be recalled that the doors swing open on a central pivot to one or the other side of the blast door opening and it now can be appreciated that the purpose of the clockwise or counterclockwise movement of the blast door is to permit the rails of the blast door to be aligned with either the right or left hand rails of each magazine cell. In this regard, it may be noted that the entire launching system arrangement, including the diametrically opposed rotatable launcher arms, is such that the rammer head of the chain hoist mechanian may be required to extend into one or the other of the rail pairs to engage and pick up a missile. For example, if right hand launcher arm 1 were to be rotated 180 for the purpose of picking up a missile from the cell diametrically opposite to the one in which it is shown entering, it would be necessary for the rammer head to enter from the opposite side of the diametrically opposed missile cell. This rotation of an arm 180 out of its normal position may be used when it is desired to dispose of the missile on the launcher arm in a flight orientation opposite to that normally employed. in other words, the 180 rotation may be employed to facilitate disposing the missile on its arm either in a forward or rearward flight direction.

Other features of the invention including the manner in which the missile is latched and unlatched in the magazine cell, also involve the same flight orientation considerations. Thus, the missiles must he latched in the magazine and unlatched regardless of whether the rammer head is being extended into right or left hand rail 41 or 42 of the cell.

To satisfy this requirement, each magazine cell includes both a so-called rail support and latch assembly 44 (FIG. 3) and a rail support and buffer assembly 46 (FIG. 4), the latch assembly being bolted to the lower end of one of the rails, such as rail 41, and the buffer assembly being bolted to the other rail 42.

Latch assembly 44 is formed of an upper housing which, as it may be noted, provides an extension 47 of rail 41 so that the rammer head and the missile shoe both can travel in a continuous track through the rail 41 into the latch assembly. Further, at the base or lower end portion of each latch extension 47 is bolted a missile shoe support block 48 which obviously forms a bottom end of the rail and is the member upon which one of the missile shoes ll rests when stowed in the magazine cell. The latch components all are mounted in either a housing 49 or a support base 51. The housing itself supports a latch cylinder control valve mechanism 52 mounted at one of its sides, this mechanism including a cam 53 extending outwardly through a bore opening in the side wall of the housing into rammer head chamber 43.

It is important to note that a similar latch control mechanism is mounted on rail support and buffer assembly 46 of FIG. 4 in which the operative parts of the mechanism are more clearly seen. Referring to FIG. 4, the mechanism includes a missile latch control valve body 54 having hydraulic connections 56 and 57 and a valve spool 58 reciprocal horizontally in the customary manner within the valve body. Valve spool 58 has its inner end portion formed as the contact cam 53 which, as already noted projects. into rammer head chamber 43 of latch assembly rail extension 47. The rather obvious purpose of so extending cam 53 into the rammer head chamber is to permit the rammer head to contact the cam and operate the valve spool as the rammer head descends to engage and pick up a missile. Normally, contact cam 53 is held in an outwardly extended position by a coil spring 59 mounted between a shoulder 61 formed on the valve spool and an interior wall of the valve body.

The function of latch cylinder control valve 52 is to control hydraulic how to a latch cylinder 62 which, as may be noted in FIG. 3, is bolted to support base 51 of the latch assembly. More specifically, each latch cylinder 62 is stroked to operate a magazine missile latch arm 63 and an associated interlock switch 64. Actuation is achieved by coupling a piston 66 and a connecting rod 67 of the cylinder to a latch drive shaft 68 which, in turn, is drivably secured to latch arm 63. More specifically, connecting rod 67 is linked by clevis 6? to the cylindrical drive shaft so that extension or retraction of the piston and rod rotates the drive shaft on its vertical axis in one direction or the other.

At its upper end, drive shaft 68 is coupled to latch arm 63 by an upper link 71 which has one end securely fastened to the upper end of the drive shaft and the other pinned to the latch arm. Normally, latch arm is urged into a missile shoe engaging position by a leaf spring 72 which has its upper end pressing against the latch-and its lower end mounted securely in latch assembly support base 51. Functionally, when a missile shoe is resting on support block 48 of .the latch assembly, the latch arm is spring loaded to over-ride the missile shoe and hold the missile in a fixed position. Suitable guides for the latch are provided by top and bottom latch inserts 73 and 74.

Latch cylinder 62 which is conventional in most respects, includes a cylinder block 76 having a hydraulic connection '77 coupled to hydraulic connections 56 of the missile latch control mechanism so that hydraulic fluid is supplied to the latch cylinder when control mechanism 52 is actuated through its cam contact with the rammer head. An end cover 78 closes one end of the cylinder 6 while the other end mounts a cylinder head incorporating a ball check valve 79 and a slow-down orifice to prevent hammering of the piston on a retract stroke.

A further feature of considerable functional importance is the use of a pin-shaped cam 82 mounted in a bore in the sidewall of housing 49 a spaced distance below missile support block 45' The manner in which this cam operates will be described later in considering the overall operation of the invention. Preferably the pin is eccentric because of a need to very precisely position its functional cam surface a fixed distance below supporting block 48. Thus, the pin can be inserted into its bore and then rotated until its functional surface is precisely positioned. Eccentric pin 82 projects into rammer head chamber 43 of the latch assembly and, generally, it functions to set the rammer head so that it will not latch and pick up a missile shoe during a return stroke.

Rail support and buffer assembly 4e is, as has been stated, mounted at the base of magazine rail 4-2 which, it will be recalled is the companion to rail 41 of the pair of confronting rails of each magazine cell. Rail 41 car ries the latch mechanism already described.

The buffer assembly of FIG. 4 is mounted on a housing 83 similar to the latch assembly housing in that its upper portion is formed as an extension of its associated magazine rail il-so that both the rammer head and the missile shoe can ride in tracks provided by the extension. Also, the buffer assembly includes, as has been indicated, a missile latch control valve mechanism 84 which is precisely similar to the latch cylinder control valve described with respect to the latch assembly. In other words, latch control valve mechanism 84 hydraulically actuates latch cylinder 62. which retracts latch arm 53, the mechanism also including contact cam surface 53 extending into rammer head chamber 43 of extension rail 85 so as to be actuated by the rammer head when it is run through this particular rail. Consequently, regardless of Whether the rammer head is run through latch assembly rail 41 or the bufier assembly rail 4-2, the ramrner head is capable of releasing the latch since it will contact one or the other of the cam surfaces of the control valves.

The buffer assembly is formed principally of a buffer lever arm 87 pivoted on the housing in such a position that the aft launching shoe of the missile contacts it as it rides downwardly in buffer extension rail 85 to force the lever arm in a downward direction. The downwardly movable end of the lever arm is provided with a yoke 38 that securely engages a buffer piston 89 mounted in a cylinder 9?. which, as may be noted, is closed at its lower end and fitted with a suitable fill and bleeder plug that may be used to replenish fluid in a buffer reservoir to be described. A cylinder head 92. closes the cylinder around the piston at its upper end and the head-to-cylinder union is sealed. The piston protrudes from the cylinder at its head end to attach to lever arm 87 and the upper end of the piston is threaded to mount an accumulator 93 over an internal fluid passage 9 formed in the center of the piston. This passage 94, in turn, terminates in a ball check valve arrangement 9.: in the piston face, the face being machined to provide a cylinder for the ball check valve, as well as an upper seat for a cylinder spring 97. A ball retainer $25 is held in position over the ball of the check valve by cylinder spring 97. Accumulator 93 is a conventional bag type, preferably precharged with nitrogen and, in the usual manner, the accumulator provides the butler expansion chamber. Cylinder $1. provides the reservoir for the buffer fluid.

in operation, the missiles aft launching shoe contacts lever arm 37 and the weight of the missile forces the arm down, this downward motion being transmitted to move the buffer piston downwardly in its cylinder to close the check valve at the end of piston and force fluid, stored in the cylinder, upwards through internal passage 94 of the piston. Fluid passes through the piston and aceaera enters the accumulator which absorbs the bufiing load. The piston then is returned and fiuid from the accumulator also is returned to the cylinder by a combination of spring load and the accumulator nitrogen charge. Since the butter mechanism is actuated by the weight of the missile transmitted through its aft launching shoe, it will be recognized that its cushioning effect is available at all times. This, of course, is true since the missile, as previously stated, has a pair of shoes which ride in each of the rail members of the pair of rails of each magazine cell.

It also should be noted that the housing of the butter assembly mounts a pin-like cam 82, similar in all respects to the already described with reference to the latching mechanism.

Another feature of the invention is the manner in which the latch assembly, as well as the butter assembly, cooperate with rammer head 14 to accomplish the pickup of a missile or alternatively to permit the rammer head to be extended and returned without picking up the missile. it will be understood that the latter mode of operation is desirable when the rammer head and its associated mechanism is being employed to lower missiles into the magazine for stowing purposes as opposed to reaching into the magazine to latch and pick up a missile for ramming purposes. The cooperation best is seen in the sequence of schematic drawings commencing with FIG. 6. However, before describing the cooperation, it will be necessary to have a greater detailed understanding of the actual structure of the rammer head. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, rammer head 14 is formed of a bar-shaped body portion 1'91 coupled at its upper end to the rammer chain and provided at its lower end with a butler block 1&2. Within the body portion are mounted a pivotal finger M3, a pivotal pawl 134 and a spring pressed cam 1%. As seen in the schematics, finger H3 is pivotally pinned to the rammer head body and, at its upper end, is formed with an outwardly projecting flange or dog portion ll7 adapted to extend over the top of the missile shoe to cooperate with pawl 1&4 in latching the shoe for hoisting or lowering operations. Also, finger 103 mounts on its upper rearward corner a roller 63 the purpose of which will become clearer.

Pawl Hi4 also is pivotally mounted on the rammer head body and, in its normal position, it is rocked outwardly of the body by spring pressed cam 106 so as to present a latching flange 1&9 for engaging and picking up the missile by means of its aft launching shoes 11. The cam, moreover, is provided on its upper surface with two beveled edges 111 and 112 culminating in a corner 113 and, normally, its beveled edge 111 is spring pressed into contact with the pawl. However, if the pawl is depressed rearwardly into the rammer body a sumcient amount, it will snap over center of the cam to then permit its beveled surface ill to engage the pawl. Such an engagement then rocks the pawl in the opposite direction to hold the pawls latching flange 169 in a depressed or retracted position. Also, pawl w ll is formed with a beveled surface at its lower end and it is this beveled surface which normally engages beveled surface ill of the cam. it will become apparent that other contours of the pawl are functionally significant, lowever, it should sur'lice for present understanding to note only that the lower end of the pawl is formed with an outwardly projecting flange file which permits the pawl to be reset or cocked after it has been depressed over center.

The remaining structure of the rammer head and other features of both the latch and buffer assemblies will be apparent in the following description of the schematic sequence illustrated in the drawings. In FIG. 6, it may be noted that the rammer head has progressed downwardly in one of the rail extensions a sufficient amount to cause its lower end portion to strike earn as latch control mechanism 84- to release the missile latch. As seen, pawl til-4 is just commencing to strike aft missile shoe 11 so as to be depressed rearwardly or,

in other words, to be forced backward into the rammer head body. In FIG. 7, pawl lo l has been depressed to maximum extent by the missilc shoe and also finger 163 is being depressed rearwardly :by the upper portion of the shoe. To permit the pivotal movement of finger 103 in rail extension 4-7 of the latch assembly, as well as rail extension of the butter assembly, each have their lower portions enlarged. Thus, as shown in the schematics, the rear wall of each of the rail extensions is gradually enlarged by means of a curved surface H6 and. the point at which this curved surface commences should be closely regulated so that the space provided by it will be avail able precisely at the instant the finger strikes the missile shoe and commences its rearward pivot.

In FIG. 8 the rammer head has been lowered to its maximum extent permissible if the operation i one in which it is desired to pick up the missile on the return stroke. In particular, it should be noted that pawl 164 has not been depressed into an over-center position with respect to the cam, so that the cam still is urging the pawl outwardly. Also, it should be noted that previously-described, eccentric cam pin 82 mounted in the side wall of both the latch assembly and the bufler assembly is commencing to ride on to an inclined surface of the pwl. As will be apparent, if the rammer head is lowered further, the pawl will be depressed still further and, be cause the lower edge on the pawl almost is engaging the upper corner of the cam, the pawl then would be thrown into an over-center, depressed position.

FIG. 9 simply represents the action of the finger and pawl in engaging the missile shoe and commencing to hoist the missile upwardly out of the magazine. It will be noted that eccentric cam pin no longer contacts the pawl so that it has sprung back to its outwardly projecting position. Also, finger 1% again has ridden over curved surface 116 which acts to pivot the finger outwardly to cause its dog portion 107 to over ride the missile shoe to maintain engagement of the shoe. Roller 1% carried by the finger, provides a smooth engagement between the rear of the linger and curved surface 116.

When it is desired to lower the missile into the magazine and tnen retract the rammer head without reengaging the missile, the action of the previously described member occurs in the manner illustrated in schematic FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. Briefly, this particular operation is accomplished by utilizing. the previously-mentioned long rammer head stroke, or in other words, a stroke that is longer than the stroke previously used in the missile pick-up action. FIG. 10 represents the upper limit of the long stroke in that the ramrner head must be lowered sufficiently to cause eccentric pin 52 to depress the rammer head an amount sufficient to cause the lower corner of the pawl to ride over upper corner 113 of cam 1&6. When this occurs, the pawl obviously will snap to the completely depressed position illustrated in the drawing. With the cam held in its depressed position, the rammer head then can be moved upwardly and, as may be noted in PEG. ll, eccentric pin 82. rides on the flat surfaces of the ram-mer head pawl to gradually depress the rearward portion of the pawl and cause its lower corner to approach the over-center corner of the cam. Finally, eccentric pin rides onto outer flange 11% at the lower end of pawl to depress this lower end an amount sufficient to again throw the pawl over center and into its normal outwardly projecting position. However, it is critical that the ec entric pin be disposed a precisely fixed distance below the supporting blocks of the latch or butler assembly so that it does not cause the pawl to snap outwardly until the upper end of the pawl has ridden beneath the missile shoe. Obviously, the rammer head then can be retracted from the missile magazine without engaging a missile.

The operation or" the entire apparatus should be reasonably apparent from the foregoing desc 'on. However, to summarize, the missile magazine cooperates with the launcher arm hoisting mechanism by providing a plurality of individual cells arranged in concentric rings, each cell being provided with a pair of rails either one of Which can be aligned with the rails of the launcher arms, as Well as the rails of the blast doors, to provide a continuous track through which the rammer head can travel into and out of the cell. Regardless of which track is utilized by the rammer head, the pair of rails both mount a latch control mechanism actuated by the rammer head to cause a missile magazine latch to retract and free the missile for the engagement and hoisting of the rammer head. However, latch mechanism is mounted on only one of the tracks, While the other track of the pair mounts the bui fer mechanism. Since the buffer mechanism is responsive to the weight of the missile, it is effective regardless of which rail is being utilized by the ra-mmer head. Also, both the latch mechanism and the buffer mechanism coordinate with the long and short stroke of the rammer head to the extent that the eccentrio cam pin is provided both with the latch mechanism and the buffer mechanism to position the rammer pawl during the long stroke and prevent a missile pick-up in the manner already described. The magazine itself is unusually compact and provides a stationary stowage for a relatively large number of large missiles. Also, due to the circular arrangement, the magazine can be disposed directly beneath the launcher arms and, when the arms are aligned for a missile pick-up, the path of travel from the magazine onto the arms is minimized as far as possible.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for stowing missiles vertically for engagement by a hoist, the missiles being of a type having shoes adapted to ride in rails of a launching mechanism; said stowing apparatus comprising a plurality of cells dimensioned in width and length to closely receive vertically disposed missiles, a pair of rails carried by each cell in a juxtaposed confronting relationship, each member of said pair of rails extending substantially the length of the cell and each being formed with a missile shoe track and also with a separate chamber for receiving said hoist, a missile shoe latch at the base of one member of said pair, and a latch control mechanism at the base of each member of the pair, said control mechanisms each having. a control surface projecting into said hoist chamber for actuation by said hoist during its travel in the chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said missile shoe latch includes a fluid pressure actuated piston, a latch member resiliently urged into shoe latching position, and

in linkage coupling said piston to said latch member for moving said member out of shoe latching position when said control mechanism is actuated.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said control mechanism includes a latch cylinder control valve having a spool projecting outwardly of its cylinder into said hoist chamber for actuation by said hoist during its travel in the chamber, said valve being arranged for porting fluid pressure to move said piston upon said actuation of said spool and said piston movement resulting in said latch release movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said linkage includes a connecting rod reciprocably driven by said piston, a rotatable drive shaft, means coupling said rod to one end of said shaft for converting the rod reciprocations to shaft rotations, and a latch arm radially carried by said shaft and coupled to said latch for reconvcrting said shaft rotations to latch reciprocations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a missile butter mechanism at the base of the other member of said pair of missile cell rails.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said buffer mechanism includes a pivotally mounted shoe rest member disposed in the path of travel of said missile shoe, a butter cylinder, a butter accumulator at one end of the bufier cylinder. a buffer fluid reservoir formed at the other end of the cylinder, a piston mounted between said ends, and means coupling said shoe rest member to said piston whereby pivotal movement of said rest member is imparted to said piston, said piston having restricted butter passages intercommnnicating said cylinder ends for cushioning the piston movement.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said missile shoe latch includes a fluid pressure actuated piston, a latch member resiliently urged into shoe latching position, and linkage coupling said piston to said latch member for moving said member out of shoe latching position when said control mechanism is actuated.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said linkage includes a connecting rod reciprocably driven by said piston, a rotatable drive shaft, means coupling said rod to one end of said shaft for converting the rod reciprocations to shaft rotations, and a latch arm radially carried by said shaft and coupled to said latch for reconverting said shaft rotations to latch reciprocations.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a cam extending into each hoist chamber a spaced distance below each latch control mechanism.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said cam is an eccentric pin.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hoist chamber of each rail is enlarged arcuately a spaced distance below each latch control mechanism.

No references cited. 

